Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors
TV personality Chuck Woolery died at home in Texas with his wife Kristen Barnes at his side on November 23, 2024. He is survived by his children Melissa, Michael, and Sean. Two of his children, Katherine and Chad, preceded him in death.
Woolery was best known for being a TV host for shows like Wheel of Fortune (1975-1981), Love Connection (1983-1994), Scrabble (1984-1990, 1993), Greed (1999-2000), and Lingo (2002-2007).
He was also a musician, whose portfolio included several advertising jingles, country music releases, and a Top 40 hit in 1968 as part of the psychedelic pop duo The Avant-Garde. In his later years, he became known for his conservative podcast with Mark Young, the Blunt Force Truth Podcast.
Woolery has mostly kept mum on his private life, though he has spoken openly a few times about the painful loss of his son, Chad. Chad was one of Woolery's two children from his first marriage to Margaret Hayes. Chad died at just 19 years old in a motorcycle crash in January 1986.
"He liked to sing and play the guitar. He wanted to be an actor. He loved girls and all sports. He loved me and I loved him. When Chad died, I was crushed. Something died with me that could never be replaced," Woolery told People of his late son in 1997.
Woolery also lost his daughter Katherine, also known as "Kitty," though details about her death are not known. A post on FindAGrave allegedly from her fiance reports her death as December 6, 2006.
The late host married his second wife, Jo Ann Pflug, in 1972, and the two welcomed a daughter named Melissa. Not much is known about his daughter with Pflug, to whom he was married until 1980.
He married his third wife Teri Nelson in 1985, and spoke with People in 1997 about being afraid to welcome sons with her, due to the painful loss of Chad. Woolery admitted he had actually gotten a vasectomy after welcoming daughter Melissa, but had that reversed for Nelson.
"If I had another son, I would be so scared something's going to happen to him," he recalled telling his wife.
"I can't tell you what that fear is like," he told the publication. "We've since had two sons: Michael and Sean. I have to be careful I don't smother them. I have to watch myself to be reasonable about things. I'll have to tell them one day, 'Look, I know you want a motorcycle, but you're not going to get one.'"
Michael has previously posted about his father on Facebook. In 2012, he shared a post holding an Emmy award with the caption, "My dads first Emmy."
English (US) ·